Running back Brandon Minor from the University of Michigan went undrafted and signed with the Bears almost immediately after the draft this year.

Minor led Michigan in rushing last season with 502 yards (5.2 per carry) and eight touchdowns, and finished his career with 1,658 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Unfortunately, the 6-0, 214-pound runner injured his left shoulder when Michigan scored its first touchdown against Purdue in 2009, but he was able to bounce back and finish the season strong.

Brandon Minor played alongside Colts RB Mike Hart at Michigan for two years at Michigan. Now Minor gets a chance to play in the NFL.

Minor will be fighting for a roster spot behind Matt Forte, Chester Taylor, Garrett Wolfe and Kahlil Bell.

This week I had the chance to speak with Brandon about what he had to do to make the team and what the Bears coaches and players have taught him so far.

Here’s the interview, exclusively on Bearsbacker.com:

Q: Was it always your dream to play in the NFL?

A: It was always my dream to play at the University of Michigan and get my college degree, but obviously even more important to play at the professional level.

Q: What was it like going from being a star in high school to playing behind Mike Hart at Michigan?

A: It was an important experience for my career to be able to learn from such a great running back. I was able to learn the system and watch how it was supposed to run. I think it added to my future performances to be able to take a year to understand the system. I still got my touches Freshmen year and was able to be effective in the situations in which I was given the opportunity.

Q: Have any of the Bears veterans started to mentor you on the field?

A:Yes, everyone is always helping me and giving me advice whenever they can. The Bears veterans have done a lot in terms of welcoming me to the team and providing as much support as they can.

Q: What kind of drills do the running backs get put through?

A: Foot work with cones, one on ones with linebackers, and also special teams drills.

Q: What has Coach Tim Spencer taught you in the short time that you’ve been here?

A:He has taught me the plays and how to fit into the system. Also, Coach has explained the importance of good body position and leverage, as that is my biggest asset with my size.

Q: With Matt Forte, Chester Taylor, Kahlil Bell and Garrett Wolfe all in front of you on the depth chart, how much harder does that make you want to work?

A: I always work hard regardless of my situation, as its important to come out and work extremely hard to be able to compete at the professional level. In my position on the depth chart, it is even more important to work hard at special teams and show my value in other situations than just being a running back. I am preparing myself to be successful and feel that I am ready to play at this level with the Bears.

Q: In your short time with the Bears, which players have you become the closest with?

A: I have become close with all the rookies, as that is who we spend the most time with. Everyone on the Bears gets along very well.

Q: What do you feel is your biggest strength?

A: My biggest strength is my body size and ability to use leverage. I am excited to get into training camp and be able to show my strength and speed in more of a game setting.

Q: What do you feel is your biggest weakness?

A: I have never been in a position where I am not the number one back on the team, beyond my freshmen year at Michigan, but I think it is a great experience and I am learning a lot from Coach Spencer, Coach Martz, and the other Bears staff. Its beneficial to be able to take the time to learn the system and I think I will turn heads this year if I am given the opportunity.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to?

A: I listen to a lot of hip-hop and pretty much all types of music.

Q: Have you enjoyed the city of Chicago so far? How crazy has it been with the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup?

A:Yes, I have loved the city of Chicago so far.  The city is great and the fans are even better. It has been fun to watch and see that the Blackhawks were able to win the Cup. It is clear the Chicago is filled with great sports fans and I am excited to see them when the season starts.

Q: Who is your role model? Who is the person who helped you get to this point?

A: My Brother and Mom have been great role models throughout my life, and have helped me get to the point where I am today.

Q: What is your favorite part of football?

A:Hitting. I love to hit and think it is one my biggest assets as a Football player.  I think that I am going to open up the eyes of my teammates and coaches once I am able to practice and play with contact.

You can follow Brandon on Twitter or on Facebook.

Did you know that former Bears great Dick Butkus ended his career in 1973 because of knee injuries.

I bet you didn’t.

Now you know.

Dick Butkus was a scary player. Football was definitely his forte. Nothing could stop him except knee injuries I guess.

Today we’ll take a look at former Bears defensive end Phillip Daniels.

Daniels was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 1996. He was a fourth round pick out of Georgia. He was part of the Bears for four seasons (2000-2004), in which he played in 59 games.

In those 59 games, Daniels made 188 tackles, 23 sacks and forced four fumbles.

His best season as a pro came in 2001, when the Bears went 13-3 on the season, but fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC divisional playoff. That season he made 50 tackles, nine sacks and forced three fumbles.

In 2004, Daniels left the Bears for Washington where he has spent the last six seasons.

In his long career, Daniels has played in 187 games, made 501 tackles, 60 sacks and forced 15 fumbles.

At age 37, Daniels is still playing hard and he is currently battling for the starting left defensive end spot with former St. Louis Ram, Adam Carriker. Daniels was a favorite of mine when he was with the Bears, it’s hard to believe at his age that he is still in the NFL.

Lets hope for a solid year for Phillip Daniels this season, because it could be his last.

Daniels is reunited with former Bears wide receiver Bobby Wade and QB Rex Grossman in Washington.

Bad News:

Last weeks, Former Bear Of The Day: Mark Bradley, was released today by the Tampa Bay Bucs. I guess he wasn’t good enough to beat out probably the worst group of receivers in the NFL. Bradley’s days in the NFL, might be over. He could always try the UFL.

Matt Forte had a great rookie season where he became the first rookie in NFL history to rush for at least 1,000 yards and catch more than 62 passes. But his numbers fell off last season and it probably was caused by his injuries.

Here’s what Forte had to say about how his feeling this off-season on ChicagoBears.com:

“I feel a lot faster,” Forte said. “I’m not injured during OTAs like last year. At the end of the season last year, I had knee surgery. I got that healed up and I actually went down to Florida and did some training so I could re-do the speed training and stuff that I did before that I didn’t get to do because of my injuries.”

“It’s a team,” he said. “It’s not me versus Chester. He’s in here to help out the team and I’m here to help out the team, too, to get a championship, so that’s what it is.”

“A lot of teams have two-running back systems and actually it prolongs their careers, so I don’t mind having him here to take some reps and get in there as long as we win games and it’s working,” Forte said.

“This is the National Football League. People are going to be brought in and out every day. Competition is part of the game. If you’re afraid of competition you shouldn’t be playing anyway, so I come out here and compete every day.”

“You don’t even have to look at the numbers, just the name of Marshall Faulk,” Forte said. “We watch a lot of old film on them. When they had Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce and all those guys, it just makes you get excited about how good this offense can be and some of the talented guys we’ve got on this team that can fit those positions.”

(All quotes from Chicagobears.com)

Dallas Morning News writer, Rick Gosselin has come out with his first power rankings of the season.

Gosselin ranked the Bears 23rd at the end of last season. With all the moves the Bears have made this off-season, you would think Gosselin would move the Bears up some in the rankings. Nope.

Gosselin ranks them 22nd, only two spots ahead of the Detroit Lions.

Here’s what Gosselin has to say about the 2010 Bears:

“The Bears made the biggest splash in free agency, signing Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers. But it will go for naught if QB Jay Cutler doesn’t reduce his turnovers (a league-high 26 interceptions). The Bears hired Mike Martz as offensive coordinator to straighten Cutler out.”

Gosselin is very high on the two other teams in the NFC North, he ranks the Packers at number four and the Vikings at number six.

This harsh ranking by Gosselin might have something to do with his belief that Jay Cutler won’t improve, even with the addition of offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Also, Gosselin might think the schedule is too hard for the Bears. They do play the AFC East, NFC East and the NFC North, three of the hardest divisions in the league.

Good news for the Bears is that the last time they had this schedule, they went to the Super Bowl, so who knows.

I’m sick of these so called analysts bashing the Chicago Bears, first it was Sports Illustrated writer Peter King and now it’s the biased Rick Gosselin, who of course ranks his Cowboys at number two. Don’t expect high rankings by any of the analysts this year.

The good news again is when the Bears rank low they usually do better, 2006, the Super Bowl season showed that when they went 13-3.  Hopefully the Bears prove everyone wrong and play very well this season. They still have a long time till the season, so will see what happens.

(All quotes from DallasMorningNews.com)

Great Ad:

Bears players and coaches watched the Chicago Blackhawks win a championship and now they hope they can bring another Super Bowl to Chicago. If they did the city would be out of control.

Strongside linebacker Nick Roach has started 24 games in his three seasons with the Bears. Coming over to the Bears in 2007 as an undrafted free agent, Roach spent most of the season on the practice squad.

Roach got his first chance in 2008, when he started nine games next to WLB Lance Briggs and MLB Brian Urlacher. In those nine games, he made 34 tackles and deflected two passes.

Last season, Roach started 15 games, he made 73 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles and he deflected three passes. Roach really excelled as a starter.

Roach is a very versatile linebacker, he filled in at every linebacker position with opening day starters Brian Urlacher, Pisa Tinoisamoa and Lance Briggs all missing significant time.

This week I had a chance to speak with him about what he had to do to become the starting strong side linebacker and how the Bears defense will be better with the additions they’ve made this off-season.

Here’s the interview, exclusively on Bearsbacker.com:

Q:  First of all how are you doing Nick?

A: Doing great. Couldn’t complain if I wanted to.

Q: Was it always your dream to play in the NFL?

A: Honestly, I can’t say it was a life long dream, but as I started seeing my friends and teammates in college take the next step, I felt like it was something I had a chance at.

Q: How different is it playing for the Bears than Northwestern?

A: It’s really pretty similar. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had great teammates my whole playing career. I’ve always been around guys that play hard and respect the game.

Q: What is your pregame ritual?

A: I don’t really have any unique rituals. I just drink a whole bunch of fluids and eat as many carbs as I can the day/night before.

Q: How many times a week during the season do you work out? What does your work out consist of?

We usually have a 2x/week plan when we’re in season. We still do core lifts like cleans, squats, bench, etc., but the majority of the exercises are for mobility and muscle/joint maintenance.

Q:What kind of drills do the linebackers get put through?

A: There are a lot of different things we practice since we have so many jobs on the field, but we always do drills that involve taking on and getting off of blockers, reading our keys, and catching the ball.

Q: I know your in the competition at the strong side linebacker position with Pisa Tinoisamoa and Hunter Hillenmeyer this season. How do you deal with competition?

A: I just embrace it as a learning experience. NFL teams are always looking to improve positions, and they’re constantly evaluating players’ performance against other players, whether it’s on that team or around the league. The fact that I can learn from and compete with proven veterans is only going to be better for me in the long run.

Q: Do you think this team has what it takes to go all the way to Dallas for Super Bowl 45?

A: No doubt. We couldn’t approach each day the right way without that attitude.

Q: How different does the defense look with the additions of Julius Peppers, Chris Harris and Major Wright and having healthy Brian Urlacher, Tommie Harris and Charles Tillman back there?

A: Ha, you just named about half the defense, so it would be hard to say anything but great. As a defense we always stress playing fast and without hesitation, so when you have that caliber you just mentioned, plus more, it makes being a part of it a lot of fun.

Q: Last season you filled in basically at every linebacker spot at some point, when you played middle linebacker you seemed to fit real well, did Brian Urlacher help you out when you were in the middle?

A: Of course. He obviously still had a major interest in how we were doing, so his insights were always close by.

Q: What do you think you have to do to win the starting strongside linebacker position?

A: I don’t think it’s necessarily anything special. The bottom line is we have a lot of playmakers in our room and as last year clearly illustrates, any of us could be called on at any time.

Q: What is your ultimate goal that you want to get from the NFL?

A: I just want to have a positive experience, on and off the field, while being a good example for the youth that look up to us.

Q: What is your ultimate goal in life?

A: My ultimate goal is to be comfortable.

Q: Who is your role model? Who is the person who helped you get to this point?

A: I’ve had many people and role models to this point, but my mom is who taught me accountability for my actions and the importance of proactivity and taking initiative.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to? What TV shows do you like to watch?

A: I don’t have a very diverse music collection, so it’s all rap and r&b. I watch most things on the Food Network and I’ve recently become addicted to the Dog Whisperer.

Q: What is your favorite food? Where do you go to eat in Chicago?

A: My all time favorite foods are probably a well made deli sandwich or a good slice of pizza. I just love trying new things, so Chicago is the perfect place for me since the restaurant scene is so diverse.

Q: What is favorite vacation spot?

A: My girlfriend is from San Diego, so I love going there and hanging out, because no matter the time of year it’s probably beautiful.

Q: How many years do you want to play in the NFL?

A: As many as I’m able.

Q: How hard was it for you when you didn’t get drafted in 2007? Did you think you would be drafted?

A: I knew I was a long shot to be drafted anyway, so when it didn’t happen I wasn’t surprised.

Q: Since you’re from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, did you grow up cheering for the teams in Wisconsin?

A: Not at all.

Q: Does the cold bother you at all during games because the last game at soldier field was very very cold?

A: Honestly, it’s not as bad as you might think, but it does take some extra preparation. You need a few extra layers, maybe some hand/foot warmers, etc.

Q: Do your friends and family ever come to the games?

A: Being from Milwaukee, my family gets to come to all the home games, and when one of them can’t make it I usually have friends willing to fill in.

Q: What is your favorite part of football?

A: My favorite part of football is the feeling of making big plays and just being around my teammates.

You can follow Nick on Twitter or Facebook or read his blog on his website, NickRoach53.com.

When the Bears drafted Jamar Williams in 2006 they expected him to replace Lance Briggs, who was demanding a trade and sitting out for a new contract. Lance Briggs got that contract and Jamar Williams found himself on the bench in his time with the Bears.

Four years later Williams is on a new team and finds himself in a great spot. Williams deserves the chance to start and he might just get the chance with WLB Thomas Davis re-tearing his right ACL which he tore last season.

The Panthers are expected to put Davis on the PUP list, which makes him unavailable for the first six games of the season. Now, former Bear Jamar Williams really has his shot to shine.

Remember last season when he stuffed St. Louis Rams running back Stephen Jackson? I sure do.

Williams made 19 tackles that game which happened to be the third most by a Bears player since 1995. That was very impressive for a 25 year old linebacker, who didn’t have much experience as a starter.

Now that Jamar has that chance I think he can really excel. It’s a shame Thomas Davis went down for the Panthers, but now Jamar Williams will get the chance he deserves.

Good luck Jamar make the most of your opportunity in Carolina.